In the transportation industry, commercial trailers are typically loaded using a variety of different techniques that take into account a variety of different sizes and configurations of boxes, packages, or other items for shipping or transit. In addition, commercial trailers, themselves, typically have various sizes and storage capacities (e.g., where such trailers are constructed to handle different cargo sizes, loads and/or configurations). All of the various loading techniques, box sizes/configurations, and trailer sizes/configurations create various permutations of loading strategies, techniques, and differences in overall loading operations that are difficult for loaders and/or managers overseeing loading of such commercial trailers to manage.
Such various permutations of loading strategies, sizes, and configurations create problems in tracking performance or quality of loading metrics across different personnel (e.g., loaders), each of which may be located in different geographic locations and/or employ different loading regimens. In particular, loaders or managers may desire a greater understanding and improved metrics relating to the efficiency of how their trailers are loaded so that they can employ or make better management decisions to improve loading time or otherwise loading efficiency for logistical operations associated with commercial trailers. Currently, in some instances, such managers or loaders use a simple metric, e.g., the total time it takes loaders (e.g., employing different strategies) to load a commercial trailer, as measured by the total time a trailer spends at a docking bay door. However, such a metric is problematic, at least because it is deficient because it provides little insight to improve operational or loading efficiency. For example, loading managers relying on this metric typically have no knowledge of how much time is actually being spent loading the trailer, how much time the trailer sits idle at the dock door, etc.
Accordingly, there is a need for three-dimensional (3D) imaging systems and methods for analyzing idle time duration in a storage area.
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The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.